U18 & U16 Reports – Tough weekend against the Dogs across the board

Norwood’s SANFL, Reserves and SANFLW sides all succumbed to defeats by Central District over the weekend and the U18 and U16 sides were no different.

Coming off three consecutive victories Norwood’s U18 team went into the Round 10 clash with the Bulldogs at The Parade full of confidence, with both sides sitting in the top four with 6-3 win-loss records.

The first half of the game was every bit the clash between two top four sides, but Centrals put the foot down after half time to run out 80-point winners.

At the main break just 11 points separated the two teams with the Bulldogs holding a 6.6-42 to 5.1-31 lead.

However, Central District went on to kick the next 12 consecutive goals in a display of domination to claim a 18.13-121 to 6.5-41 win.

Norwood captain Jacob Jones had 26 disposals and kick a goal, while also taking six marks and laying four tackles, while Jaidyn Mead had 25 touches and eight marks.

Caleb Barton kicked two goals from his 15 disposals, while Brayden Rachwal was the other multiple goal kicker.

Eamon Ziersch-O’Connor had 23 hitouts ad 10 disposals.

Norwood will have to bounce back quickly with a Friday night game at The Parade against South Adelaide, starting at 7.15pm (U16s 5pm start).

The Panthers will present another challenge, sitting in third place with a 6-4 win-loss record to match the Redlegs in fourth place.

Central District and Woodville-West Torrens sit on top of the ladder with 7-3 records.

Norwood 3.1, 5.1, 5.4, 6.5 – 41

Central District 2.4, 6.6, 11.10, 18.13 – 121

Goals: Rachwal 2, Barton 2, Catalano, Jones

Best: Kirchhofer, Rachwal, Savage, Johnston, Zierch-O’Connor

Norwood’s U16 side was also on the receiving end of a heavy defeat at the hands of Central District at The Parade on Saturday, with the Bulldogs running out 56-point winners.

While the U18s game slipped away after half time, the damage was done in the first quarter of the U16 match where Centrals put through the first eight goals of the game in a 22-minute onslaught.

Norwood was down by 49 points at quarter time, but from that point forward the game evened out with the Bulldogs kicking 10 goals to Norwood;s eight for the remainder of the contest.

The Redlegs had a patch in the third term where they had five consecutive scoring shots but could only manage a scoreline of 2.3, which meant they couldn’t capitalise on their fightback on the score board.

Norwood got it back to 40 points in the last quarter, before Centrals kicked the last three goals of the game to make it a 18.6-114 to 8.10-58.

Robert Varcoe kicked three goals for Norwood, taking his tally to 19 for the year to sit second on the U16 League goal kicking list.

Will Prescott had 29 disposals, seven marks, and nine inside 50m entries, while Darcy Speyer had 25 disposals six tackles and four clearances.

Ruckman Oliver Gribben had 20 disposals, 11 hitouts, 10 clearances and one goal.

Norwood 0.1, 3.3, 6.7, 8.10 – 58

Central District 8.2, 11.4, 14.5, 18.6 – 114

Goals: Varcoe 3, Gilby, Ackland, Hearfield, Gribben, Rose

Best: Gribben, Speyer, Prescott, Kretschmer, Minervini